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Zetland Park Methodist Church Pastoral Letters
May 2012

Thomas proclaimed, "My Lord and my God"

People often get given nicknames, sometimes with their approval, sometimes not. But I guess there are very few of us who will be remembered much beyond our death, let alone in future centuries and our nickname be applied to others with similar traits. But even today, two millennia after he lived, the name of "Doubting Thomas" is well known even by those who probably do not even know where the name came from.

Thomas is remembered as the one who was not with the rest of the disciples immediately following Jesus' resurrection when he first appeared to them. When he was told about it Thomas said he would not believe Jesus had risen unless he could see the wounds of crucifixion.

A week later when all the disciples were together again, including Thomas, Jesus came among them and offered Thomas the opportunity to touch the wounds and believe. This time there was no hesitation; seeing Jesus was enough and Thomas proclaimed, "My Lord and my God".

Many people find the resurrection of Jesus a bit of a challenge to believe, but I think it was relevant that Thomas was not with the others when Jesus appeared to them. It is within the community of faith that the presence of the risen Lord is best experienced. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying you have to go to church to be a Christian, but what I am saying it that it is far easier to be a strong Christian within a community of faith. I regularly meet people who used to go to church but stopped going through moving area or following a bad experience within the church - I am very aware that the church and its members don't always get it right, indeed sometimes get it terribly wrong. In history there are heaps of examples of people who have treated the church as "theirs", not God's, and caused huge offence to others. And sometime the lives of Christian people have been the worst witness to a God of love.

Even among the disciples there were personality crises, much as in the church today, but I know that it is easier to be a strong Christian within a community faith where we can, submitting to the rule of Christ as "Lord and God", support one another in love and sense the amazing power of the risen Jesus working in our lives. I invite you to be part of that, while myself always trying to encourage churches to be better communities of faith where we submit to the rule of the risen Christ.

All blessings
Arthur

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